


The Experiment

by fiveysbrokenstar



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Character death fix I guess, F/M, I'm still fucking bitter about his death., Immortal!Ianto AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2019-10-11 18:28:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17452148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiveysbrokenstar/pseuds/fiveysbrokenstar
Summary: The one where Ianto is suddenly immortal for some reason even though he died seven months ago during the 456 incident.





	1. Chapter 1

Jack sighed softly as he walked down the street. It had been quite some time snce he had been to Cardiff. This time of year was much cooler and wetter than the spring; This fact didn't bother him, of course , it was all the better for it. The cool weather alone would be enough to keep him from wandering aimlessly. 

He stepped into the invisible lift and waited for it to move. He wasn't entirely sure how he would deal with the rampant memories that were associated with the space. 

Once inside, he was greeted by a small, fairly busy temporary crew and a young man who was holding a clipboard.

'Mr. Harkness, sir. I was...well...assigned.'

'Slow down and back up. Tell me your name first. Then you can brief me on the situation. And don't call me mister. It makes me feel old.'

The man stared at him, a bit annoyed. They didn't have time for such pointless formalities. 

'I'm waiting,' Jack prompted.

'Aaron,' he muttered.

'Thank you.'

Aaron gave him the few details of what was going on, how the rift's activity levels had been unusually high for the past couple weeks. 

'The rift activity has been fluctuating since the beginning of time. You lot called me in for this?'

Jack wasn't the least bit amuzed. It really wasn't any sort of reason to call him in, to make him come back to the memories that haunted this space.

'Yes sir, but-'

'Stop calling me sir,' Jack snapped. 

It was too soon for him to be back here – it was still too painful for him. He sat down in one of the desk chairs, putting his head in his hands. 

By the time he'd composed himself, there was an alarm and a sudden commotion before he was left alone. He sighed softly and stood. The hub itself was almost completely rebuilt, but the ghosts of its past still haunted it, only barely perceptible to outsiders, but to the immortal man, they were still loud and clear, even morjeso now that he was alone.

He slowly walked through the hub, allowing the memories to wash over him. One by one, the pictures became clearer. The figures themselves weren't exactly clear enough for him to pick out any discernable features, but he knew who they were. He listened to the past as he walked, the scenes playing in his mind. One scene made him paused, the first time he'd kissed Ianto. 

They'd both been drinking that night and Ianto had been os upset that Jack had tried to comfort him. That day hadn't even been a particularly long day, not for the team anyway. Ianto had received a phone call from his father and that had always been hard. It'd come as quite the shock when Ianto had kissed him, but Jack hadn't minded at all and things sort of just fell into place. 

Jack, despite all his efforts to avoid it, had fallen in love. It was incredibly rare for Jack to afford himself that sort of luxury. A luxury was all love had been to him as anyone he ever loved would always be torn from him. It had happened with Ianto. He would never get to hear the Welshman's cute laugh or see his beautiful smile again.

Jack wiped at his eyes, only barely noticing the tapping coming from somewhere in the hub. It took him several moments to calm down, just enough to realise that it wasn't a figment of his imagination, which only served to make him curious. He made his way around the hub, always listening for the sound. Soon enough, he had ruled out the archives, his old office, and the rest of the hub soon followed It even became obvious there was no intruder. 

He hesitantly approached the morgue area where the noise grew much clearer and he looked around, finding no one there. He decidedd to scan the cooler.He ran a scan on the part of the cooler that held the bodies, checking for life. He assumed it was coming from there. It took longer than he would have liked it to and it returned with the result: Section 04723.101.

Jack stared at the result for a moment, perhaps a moment too long before calling the body up to the morgue area. It took longer than he wanted and he paced the entire time. As soon as the usual click sounded through the small area, he pulled the body from the compartment and looked for any identifying tags as it had been placed after he had left Torchwood.

He paused and watched as the bag twitched. It was such a small movement that Jack was almost sure he'd imagined it and still he had an obligation to investigate. He hesitantly went to the head of the body and started unzipping the body bag. It took him very little time to realise the man inside was Ianto. 

His first instinct was to panic, which quickly turned into anger as he and Rhiannon had planned his funeral. He'd even helped to bury Ianto in some attempt to get some sort of closure and seeing him laying on the slab in front of him was like a slap to the face. After a moment or two, he began to calm down a little and began to see the shallow movements of the Welshman's chest. 

Jack tried to find a pulse and failed to do so. He hesitantly pressed an ear to his chest, surprised to find a very quiet heartbeat. With that knowledge, he lifted Ianto from the cold slab and brought him over to the sofa before covering him with his coat. It occurred to him that he should get Ianto out of here as if they were hiding him, then what else might they be. He thought for a moment before settling on calling The Doctor. 

'Hello?' The answer came after the third ring as usual. 

'Hey. Can you...uhm...do me a favour and pick me up at Torchwood?'

'Sure. Why?'

'I don't have time for an explanation right now. Just meet me by the invisible lift.'

'I'll be there in under a minute.'

Jack grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Ianto to better protect him from the elements and lifted him into his arms.

'Don't worry, love. You're safe now,' he whispered.

Ianto wasn't fully conscious, but he vaguely recognized the voice though he couldn't place it. It took almost all his effort to press his face into the crook of the man's neck. The scent was unmistakable to him and it made him relax further.

Jack smiled sadly, waiting by the invisible lift for the Doctor to show up. He hummed a song to Ianto in some attempt to comfort him. 

Thirty seconds passed before the TARDIS appeared and the Doctor exited, going over to Jack.

'Hey, what's going on?'

'I'll fill you in once he's tended to,' Jack replied. 

'Isn't he supposed to be...?' 

'Yes, but he's not.'

Jack sounded like he'd been crying, which he certainly had been, even if he hadn't realised it. 

The Doctor led him into the TARDIS and hit a button on the console to set them in the time vortex on his way to the medbay with Jack trailing just behind him. He didn't think too much of it.

'Lay him on that bed,' he commanded gently.

Jack did as told, carefully laying Ianto on the medical bed. He was partly still in shock and entirely too worried. He had no clue how long Ianto had been alive in that freezer or how much damage had actually been done and that was terrifying. He stood at the bedsied, staring at Ianto's face, getting so lost in thought he didn't realise the Doctor was trying to get his attention. 

'Earth to Jack,' the Doctor said, waving a hand in front of the immortal's face.

Jack blinked and glanced over at him.

'You okay?'

'Yeah... Just fine.'

'Help wrap him in blankets. Starting with this one.'

The Doctor held up a heated blanket.

'Isn't that dangerous?' 

Jack idly brushed a hand through Ianto's hair, if only to assure him he was still there. 

'Not on a low setting,' the Doctor assured him.

Jack was a bit skeptical, but he trusted the Doctor to know what he was doing, which was taking more of a risk than he cared to admit. He carefully sat Ianto up and helped wrap the heated blanket around his chest. He laid Ianto down and started layering blankets over him until the Doctor stopped him.

'It'll be a bit before he wakes. How about we go get some tea,' the Doctor suggested.

'But what about...? Shouldn't we keep an eye on him?'

The Doctor went to get something from a drawer returning with what seemed to be a strap of fabric and some clear glass.

'What's that?' Jack asked. 

'You'll see.'

The Doctor uncovered Ianto's arm just long enough to wrap the fabric loosely around his wrist. 

'Here. Don't let this out of your sight. Got it?'

Jack looked at him skeptically as he was handed the clear bit of glass and it lit up.

'What's this?'

'It's a monitor. You'll be able to keep an eye on what's going on.'

Jack nodded and looked at the monitor in his hands. He was only vaguely shocked to see a heartbeat. It was all slowly becoming very real. 

'H-how long before I lose him again?' Jack stammered lightly.

The Doctor grabbed a scanner and scanned Ianto.

'You won't,' he responded gently, pulling him out of the room. 

'What do you mean?'

'Effectively he's just as immortal as you are.'

Jack stared at him, unsure of how to react. On one hand, he was relieved nad yet on the other it seemed too good to be true. 

The Doctor led him to the kitchen and put the kettle on.

'I wouldn't tell you something I didn't know was true.' 

Jack took a deep breath, starting to calm down. It had been a long day. 

'Would you like to tell him or should I?' The Doctor asked. 

'He might take it better if I tell him. I mean dying and coming back the first time is hard on someone.

The Doctor nodded in understanding iwthout thinking much of it.

'It might even be best to wait a bit to tell him.'

'He'll be overwhelmed enough as it is,' Jack nodded.

The Doctor passed him a mug of tea.

'The monitor thing is just so I don't feel so helpless, isn't it.

It was quickly made clear that the immortal man was speaking from experience.

'Partially,' the Doctor admitted. 

'Partially?' Jack glanced down at the monitor.

'I thought it might give you some peace of mind.'

Jack offered a small smile to his friend. The Timelord had been right after all. It put him at ease to see Ianto's temperature slowly rising and to see his heartbeat remain slow, but still steady. 

'It does, thanks.'

 

'What are you going to do when he wakes?'

Jack raised an eyebrow. He hadn't really given that much thought and the question had caught him off guard.

'It depends on how he reacts to everything, I suppose.'

'If he responds well?'

'If he's calm, then I'll kiss him immediately.' 

'If he responds poorly?'

'Then I'll try to comfort him.'

The Doctor smiled softly, sitting down in the chair across from him.

'Do you want me to give you both some time alone when he wakes?'

'Please? I don't know how he'll be. I just hope he'll accept me.'

'I'm sure he will.'

'I love him.'

'I know you do, Jack.'

The Doctor offered a small smile. He was happy that Jack had found someone to love. He reached across the table and hit a button on the tablet, making it change to a video feed. 

'He's already stirring, see?'

Jack nodded, looking down at the video.

'What have you been up to since we last saw each other?' He ventured cautiously.

'Just the same old thing.'

'I refuse to believe mr. high-and-mighty Timelord did nothing out of the ordinary for him,' Jack teased playfully. 

He meant no harm, of course, only taking the opportunity to distract himself by catching up with his friend. 

'Well... I did get married.'

'Oh? Who's the lucky lady?'

'River Song. She's the daughter of two of my companions.'

Jack smiled a bit, though it quickly faded as a clatter came from the tablet speakers. He looked down and saw the little metal tray that had been beside the bed was toppled over. 

'I should go check on him.'

'Do you want me to walk you to the medbay?'

'Just in case, please.'

The Doctor stood, making his way to the medbay with Jack.

The door was rattling violently as it was locked to prevent the man on the other side from escaping, screaming coming from the other side. 

Jack patted the wall gently, earning a soft hum.

'It's okay, old girl. I can handle it from here. Open the door,' he spoke softly.

He felt the lock on the door click and opened the door. As Ianto tried to run past him, he wrapped his arms around him, gently stopping him from running off and getting lost. 

Ianto let out a scream as he fought against him. He was so scared. All he could remember was those awful creatures and dying slowly in Jack's arms. Now he was convinced that he'd die by the hand of who or whatever had him now. 

'Ianto stop... It's okay. Everything's okay now. I've got you,' Jack soothed gently. 

Ianto froze at the sound of Jack's voice. Was it rela? Could it be trusted? He didn't know. It was all too confusing for him. He let out a pitiful sob as his knees buckled. 

Jack carefully lowered him to the floor, only stilling once he was sat against the wall with Ianto tucked under his chin.

'Do, do you mind going to get him some water?'

The Doctor caught the hint that Jack wanted some time alone and turned to leave.

Jack turned his attention to Ianto, carding a hand through his hair in an attempt to comfort him. 

Ianto slowly relaxed into the touch, burying his face in the crook of Jack's neck. He was trembling slightly, his hands curling into Jack's shirt. He wasn't calming down, not for the moment.

'Ianto?' Jack asked softly. 

Ianto made a quiet noise, vaguely acknowledging him. 

'I love you,' Jack murmured. 

Ianto started to relax a bit, closing his eyes for a moment. 

'A-are they gone? Those creatures...the...'

'Yeah. They're gone.'

Ianto let his guard down. He trusted Jack with his life and he definitely trusted him to do what was best. He stifled a yawn against Jack's shoulder.

'Tired?' Jack asked softly.

'Yeah.'

'What do you want to do?'

'Shower then maybe go to bed.'

'We'll face tomorrow when it comes?'

Ianto nodded slightly. 

Jack helped him to the washroom and stood by just in case something happened He carried on a quiet conversation with him while he got cleaned up. 

'You didn't have to stay in here,' Ianto pointed out.

'Maybe I just like seeing you naked,' Jack joked a little. 

Ianto wrapped a towel around his waist and glanced over at Jack, raising an eyebrow. 

'Or maybe it was peace of mind,' Jack smiled a little. 

Ianto put on the pyjama pants that were on the sink. 

'Peace of mind?'

Jack nodded, not saying anything, somewhat unsure of it now. 

Ianto pulled on the t-shirt and turned his attention to Jack. 

'I'm not going anywhere.'

'I know,' Jack offered a small smile. 'It just feels like a dream. Come on... We should get you back to the medbay. 

Jack took his hand and led him to the medbay. It was just a precaution to keep Ianto from getting lost. 

Once they made it to the medbay, the Doctor ran a scan on Ianto.

'He's dehydrated,' he read off the results. 

'Does that mean I'll have to stay in here tonight?' Ianto asked quietly.

There was a hint of fear in his voice, though it wasn't enough to be easily detected. 

'I'd prefer you did,' the Doctor answered. 

Ianto tensed a bit. He hated hospitals and even though this wasn't one, it still looked the part. 

'Can we talk alone for a moment,' Jack asked, turning to leave the room. 

The Doctor followed him out.

'Look, he hates hospitals. I'm not saying don't treat him, just...it'll be easier on him if he stays in a bedroom,' Jack explained. 

The Doctor weighed his options for a moment or two. It was a difficult choice despite the fact there seemed to be nothing imminently dangerous. 

'I suppose it'll be alright. But only if he's supervised by someone.'

'I don't care as long as it'll be easier on him.'

'Does this mean you're volunteering?' The Doctor teased gently. 

'Of course I am.'

'Alright. No vigorous activities,' the Doctor winked at him. 

Jack chuckled a bit. 

'We should get back before he loses it.

Jack turned to go back into the medbay with the Doctor following after him.

'Please don't make me go back,' Ianto muttered. 

He was staring off at some invisible point in front of him. 

'Back where?' Jack ventured carefully. 

'The freezer... He said y-you would.'

'Who said that?'

There was just the slightest hint of anger in Jack's voice. 

The Doctor placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, trying to calm him. 

'He needs you more than whatever you've got in mind,' he reminded him gently. 'His mind is a bit of a mess right now, but he trusts you.'

Jack took a deep breath to calm down before going over to Ianto. 

'I'd never do that. I promise,' he pressed a kiss to Ianto's forehead. 

Ianto clung to him, resting his head on Jack's shoulder. He knew that Jack wouldn't have, but he had to be sure. 

'I have some good news for you.'

Jack was trying to distract him to bring some amount of comfort.

'Hm?'

'The Doctor agreed to let you out of here on two conditions. The first is to let him treat you and the second is that you're supervised.'

Ianto nodded slightly, seeming to relax a little. 

'Can I see Rhiannon?' 

'It's getting late, love. Maybe in the morning would be best.'

'Can we take a walk?'

'It'd be a good idea. I can show you around so you won't get lost.'

Ianto nodded slightly, closing his eyes for a moment or so.

Jack pressed a kiss to the side of Ianto's head, tracing patterns on his back. 

'Maybe we should let the Doctor do whatever it is he's going to do,' he suggested.

Ianto shook his head, not wanting to move away from him.

'What if I sit next to you? Would that help?'

Ianto thought about it for a moment. 

'Okay,' he decided quietly, letting go of him. 

Jack moved so that he was sitting next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. 

Ianto leaned against him, one hand curling into the back of Jack's shirt. 

The Doctor moved closer to them, offering a smile. 

'Ianto Jones, right? Long time no see,' he tried starting a conversation.

Ianto shrugged, curling up a little. 

'Alright... So you're dehydrated. All I'm going to do is to put an IV line in and strap a monitor to your wrist.' 

Ianto nodded slowly, laying his head on Jack's shoulder as the Doctor did as he said he would. 

'There, you should be right as rain by morning,' the Doctor smiled.

'That fast?' Ianto asked cautiously.

'Maybe Jack can fill you in'

'I-I want to see my sister.'

Jack pressed a kiss to the side of his head, tracing a pattern on his arm. 

'Can we wait until morning? Maybe after breakfast so I can call ahead of time and fill her in?'

'Why?'

Ianto was still in shock and it was painfully obvious. Asking to elaborate on facts was just a coping mechanism.

Jack was so very used to this coping mechanism and knew how to deal with it. 

'You came back from the dead. It's not easy on those you love. Especially when they know you were killed.'

Ianto nodded in understanding.

'Can we go for a walk?'

'Of course, love.'

Jack moved to stand up before helping Ianto to his feet. 

'Maybe we should start at the console room,' he suggested. 'End with the bedroom.'

'No. I don't want to sleep.'

'Library or media room then?'

'Library.'

'Alright.'

Jack led him from the room and toward the console room, holding his hand. 

'Do you think you can handle another surprise?' 

Ianto thought about it a moment before nodding. 

'You're effectively immortal,' Jack explained gently.

Ianto stopped walking and stared at him. He wasn't entirely sure if he should believe it or not.

'What?'

The shock in his voice was obvious.

'The Doctor gave me a choice to either break it to you myself or for him to tell you. I thought you might take it better if I told you. Especially given what you've been through just tonight.'

'Can I ask something?'

'Sure.'

'If I'm immortal, does that mean we can be a normal couple?'

Jack stared at him for a moment, a little shocked by the question. It was the last thing he'd expected to hear. It took him almost a full minute for him to process the question.

'Yeah. That's an option.' 

Ianto smiled a little. 

'So...?'

'The real question is do you want to pick up where we left off?'

'Yeah.'

Jack pecked his lips. He was happy to hear that sort of news. 

'One more question?' Ianto asked softly. 

'Alright.'

'If we're gonna be a normal couple, can I call you my boyfriend?'

'Are you sure you want to?'

Ianto hummed softly in thought before nodding. 

'Then yes,' Jack nodded.

Ianto yawned softly as they continued their walk. 

'Are you sure you want to go to the library?' Jack asked softly.

'No.'

'My room then?'

'Yeah.'

Jack smiled softly and corrected their course, leading Ianto to his room. They crawled into bed and talked quietly until they both drifted off.


	2. Chapter 2

It was roughly six in the morning when Jack decided he couldn't lay still anymore. He wanted to get up and move about to stretch, yet this posed quite the dilemma. To start with, he was warm and quite comfortable. To add another reason to not drag himself out of bed, Ianto was curled against his side, snoring softly. In the end, it was Jack's need to move that drove him to get up and go about his normal morning routine. 

He hummed softly as he stood barefoot in the kitchen, deciding on the particulars of what he should make for breakfast. His phone was pressed between his ear and his shoulder as he dug through the refrigerator for some eggs, pausing only a half second when the call was answered. 

He chatted idly with Rhiannon for a while as he started breakfast. The two of them had become close friends after Ianto's passing, so they tended to keep tabs on each other the rare occasion that Jack called. 

'Got a question for you...' 

'That would be?' 

'Mind if I come around later? I have some photos you might want.' 

'Photos of Ianto? Didn't know you had any.'

'Of course. How could I go on without them?' 

'Let me get the children off to school and you can come.' 

'Sounds perfect. I'm making breakfast anyway. I'll see you soon.'

He hung up the phone to pull a pan of toast from the oven long enough to add butter and cinnamon to some, leaving most of the pan plain. He was working on pancake batter when the Doctor came in. 

'Didn't peg you for the type to cook breakfast,' the Doctor teased. 

'It's the least I could do... Plus I just got off the phone with Ianto's sister.'

'How did she take the news?'

'Didn't tell her. Asked to visit instead.'

'Alright.'

Jack hummed softly as he cooked, enjoying quiet conversation with the Doctor, a proper chance to catch up. He paused when he felt someone slide their arms around his waist from behind and press a kiss to his shoulder. 

'Morning, gorgeous.'

Ianto's cheeks went pink and he hid his face against Jack's shoulder.

Jack chuckled softly and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. 

'How'd you sleep?'

'Alright...for the most part.' 

He hadn't been the most peaceful sleeper since the cannibal incident - not without Jack laying next to him, anyways. 

Jack moved the last few pancakes from the pan and turned the burner off before facing him. 

'What happened, love?' His tone softened considerably. 

Ianto's grip on Jack tightened just a bit. He wasn't ready to answer that just yet. 

'Another nightmare?' Jack asked gently.

Ianto nodded slightly, pressing closer to him.

Jack held him, knowing not to press for details as he didn't want to upset him further. 

'Hey... It's okay now, you know that.' 

Ianto nodded, starting to allow himself to relax. Sometimes the quiet reassurance was all he needed, that was not the case today. 

Jack pressed another kiss to the side of his head. 

'Anything specific you want while I'm cooking?'

He knew that sometimes a distraction could help much more than the reassurances.

Ianto shook his head, now just leaning against Jack. 

'Come on... We should eat, then we'll go see Rhiannon. Okay?' Jack said softly.

'Alright.' 

Jack took his hand and walked with him to the table.


End file.
